Campaign of the Indus eBook

It is reported that Sir J. Keane was so very anxious
about it, that when he heard our first cheers, after
entering the gate of the town, he actually cried,
it was such a relief to his mind; and that he told
Brigadier Sale, lieutenant-colonel of the 13th Light
Infantry, who commanded on the occasion, that it was
very likely that the fate of India depended on our
taking this place. Ghuzni was considered Dost
Mahomed’s principal fortress; his son commanded
in it, and it was garrisoned by 3000 Afghans.
Young Dost expected to hold it out for a fortnight;
and his father was to have come to his relief in a
day or two, when we should have had a difficult part
to perform, as we should have been surrounded in this
valley by armed parties on all sides; so that it would
have been really a ticklish job. They had collected
provisions in the town for three months, and arms and
ammunition; in fact, it was the regular depot for
their army. They had also about four or five
lacs of rupees; but that will not give us much prize
money. Our loss was very trifling, owing to the
daring and sudden nature of the attack, as they were
taken totally by surprise. Our regiment suffered
the most, and we have thirty-seven killed and wounded,
including officers, of whom six out of eighteen were
wounded—­one-third of the whole,—­however,
none of the latter dangerously, thank God, though two
of them are returned severely wounded. Five men
of our regiment were killed outright on the spot,
and I am afraid we shall lose some more in a few days
from the effects of their wounds. Of the enemy,
about 500 were killed, and more than 1500 made prisoners;
and of the remainder, who made their escape over the
walls, the greater part were cut down by the Dragoons,
or spifflicated by the Lancers. Among the prisoners
is young Dost himself, the greatest prize of all.
More than a thousand magnificent horses have also
been taken, besides pack-horses, camels, and grain
in abundance. However, I never can tell a story
without going back to the very commencement.

I finished my last letter to you the day before we
left Candahar. Well; we started on Sunday, the
30th of June, and made seven marches to Belanti Ghiljee,
where we caught up the Shah’s army, with a Bengal
division. Here Sir John Keane had first come in
sight of young Dost’s army, who, however, retired
very quickly, though there was some talk of their
holding out at this place, and we were pushed on rapidly
in consequence. They shewed their sense in not
holding out there, as it would not have taken us long
to dislodge them. We halted here a day, and then
marched on by very short and easy marches, halting
every third or fourth day, and taking things very
easy, although we were constantly annoyed by the Ghiljees,
who murdered several of our camp followers, and tried
to rob us whenever they could find an opportunity,
until we were within five good marches of Ghuzni,
when General Willshire received an order to push on
by forced marches, and to make these five into three.